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Semi truck hauling hogs tips over in Berkley Tuesday morning

Veterinary medicine students from Iowa State University were called to assist when a semi trailer carrying a load of hogs tipped over on the north side of Berkley Tuesday morning. Photo by Whitney Sager

A member of the Perry Volunteer Fire Department sprays water on hogs resting in a ditch. The hogs were rescued from a semitrailer that tipped in Berkley. Iowa State University veterinary medicine students, dressed in the white suits, were called to help with the incident. Photo by Whitney Sager

A semitrailer hauling 166 hogs tipped over at the intersection of E57/280th Street and Clover Avenue Tuesday morning on the north side of Berkley. Of the 166 hogs on board, 100 either perished or had to be euthanized due to injuries they sustained. The driver of the semi was taken to the Dallas County Hospital in Perry where he was treated for minor injuries and released. Photo by Whitney Sager

By Whitney Sager

Editor

A load of hogs had to be corralled after the semitrailer that was hauling them to a packing plant tipped over in southwestern Boone County.

According to Chief Deputy Rick Lampe of the Boone County Sheriff’s office, the incident occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m. The semi, which was pulling a load of 166 hogs, was attempting to turn south onto Clover Avenue from E57/280th Street on the north side of Berkley. The semi made the right-hand turn too short, causing it and its trailer to tip over, coming to rest against a light pole.

Some of the hogs were let out of the trailer following the incident and were resting in the ditch while the semitrailer was returned to an upright position and stabilized. The hogs were then loaded into trailers and hauled to the Tyson Fresh Meats packing plant in Perry, their intended destination. Those remaining in the semitrailer were kept in there and hauled to Perry by a towing truck.

When the trailer arrived at the Perry packing plant, it was determined 100 of the hogs had either perished or had to be euthanized because of injuries sustained. Those that were injured and had to be euthanized will not be processed for human consumption, Lampe said.

The semi driver, 52-year-old Jeff Marasco of Gowrie and a Swine Graphics Enterprises employee, was taken to Dallas County Hospital in Perry, where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

The truck was on its way from Swine Graphics Enterprises in Webster City to the packing plant in Perry. Rod Leman, one of the owners of Swine Graphics Enterprises, said it was an “unfortunate incident,” but he was thankful the temperatures were not too hot for the sake of the hogs.

Members of the Perry Fire Department were on hand to hose down the hogs with water to keep them cool.

Iowa State University veterinary medicine students were called to assist in keeping the hogs at-bay. Lampe said if the towing company hadn’t been able to bring the trailer upright, the students would have entered the trailer to see which hogs could be saved and which would have to be euthanized.

The accident was cleaned up and all hogs had been hauled away by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Lampe said.

The Iowa State Patrol Motor Vehicle Enforcement and Boone County Secondary Roads also assisted with the incident.